HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Pedestrian risk life and limb

Bring your old credit card to U-tapao airport

Baht bus woes

Solutions to pollution

Is city hall to blame?

Town of Infinity

Pedestrian risk life and limb

Dear Sir or Madam,
After leaving Jomtien Complex towards Thappraya Road at about 10 p.m., my wife and I were surprised by heavy rain and flooded streets. As we waded through the water trying to halt a taxi, I fell with both legs through a hole in the concrete frame of a drain lid of the sidewalk.

I’ve been treated in the Memorial Hospital suffering from severe scrapes and cuts. A large wound had to be stitched. I am still undergoing treatment every day.
As a regular visitor of the Jomtien area, I would like to emphasize that not only this hole but others on the same sidewalk are there for at least two years. They are perilous for pedestrians such as children and elderly people like me. I am 64 years old.
I am aware that these kinds of obstacles are common “attractions” in whole Pattaya. However, the responsible authorities could do something as danger of life is imminent.
Dieter Thurau,
Dinslaken, Germany

Bring your old credit card to U-tapao airport

Dear Sir,
I have just returned from U-tapao airport after seeing two friends off on a flight to Phuket on Bangkok Airways.
When my friends checked in they had the print out from their computer with all the relevant data and their passports. However, the check-in staff required my friends to produce their credit card as well - up to this point all was well but then things went wrong; the credit card was a new one with a different number than the previous one.
The check in staff insisted that my friends buy new tickets using the new credit card and told them that a refund for the old tickets would be made in 45 days. All of this took approximately 45 minutes. So a warning to all you travellers out there: do not destroy your old credit card if you used that one to buy your tickets with Bangkok Airways as you will need it to get onboard the flight.
Regards
Bill Hunter

Baht bus woes

Editor;
I feel sorry for Bobbi Dooley and her handicapped husband for their experience with the infamous baht bus drivers in Pattaya. The problem is, we ex-pats that live here know it is something we can do nothing about unless city hall and/or the police do something about these criminals.
Two weeks ago I took a baht bus from Sukhumvit Highway on Pattaya Klang going to Beach Road. Knowing I was on one that would turn right at TOPS, I figured I could cross the street from there, and get another one on to Mike Mall.
Halfway down Pattaya Klang the sky’s opened up. By the time I got off at TOPS, it was pouring down, and I had to run across the street to take shelter in front of a hotel close to the police box on the corner. Five times I came out and tried to flag down a baht bus, but none would stop. Finally, one did, but the driver rolled down his window a little and asked me where I was going. I told him Mike Mall, to which he replied, Mike Mall, one hundred baht. Like I just fell off a turnip truck. Needless to say, I waited for another.
And yet, there are still people out there who claim we falangs have no right to complain about these crooks.
It’s about time city hall and the police do something positive about this situation.
Concerned Falang

Solutions to pollution

Aloha Editor;
I have now found the reason for most of the pollution in the ocean, in the Jomtien area, one of the biggest problems starts at the Dongtan branch sub-district police station at Beach Rd and Thappraya Rd and goes to the Coast Guard Station, on Dongtan Beach. Due to the fact that there are no garbage dumpsters in that area, most of the people who work on the beach to make a living, are raking all of the beach garbage into the ocean and the boats for hire are dumping their yesterday’s fares garbage, overboard. In turn it drifts away from their place of business and what doesn’t sink washes up on beaches away from theirs. I also have found due to laziness, around 50% of workers for the beach concessions, even where they have dumpsters, rake to ocean and let high tide take it out.
In my 3 years plus cleaning the beach from Soi Wat Boon to Thappraya Rd, I find that most venders do a beautiful job keeping their area very clean. Most of them are the owners of their business. Employees, on the other hand, need to understand if they continue to rake to the ocean, rather then away from it, that they will be out of a job due to the fact that they have trashed our ocean so bad, that locals, as well as tourists, will find cleaner beaches to go to, like Sattahip.
I see the trash every day and cry, yes at 68, I cry. I know we can do something. Will there ever be more then two footsteps in the sand? Is anybody out there? Does anybody care? When will it be your turn to help? Open eye, “waster-size”, donate, do something, the life of the people is in the land.
“The Keeper Of The Ocean” Gerry T. Rasmus
[email protected]

Is city hall to blame?

Dear Editor.
I think that 40 to 50 percent of all the people ever killed on the streets of Pattaya go on account of deep holes in the street, loose gravel, missing traffic lights, etc. Is it true that here the city hall is fully to blame? Anybody doubt this?
PS – The newly planted flowers at the entrance to Central Road look very nice. A deep pothole looks not nearly half as nice. What’s more, it kills.
Yours Sincerely,
Jerry Lester,
Sattahip

Town of Infinity

Dear Sir,
I read with absolute astonishment your article re the ‘Town of Infinity’ project being proposed at the staggering cost of 64 million baht. Why are we spending this money when 90% of the roads East of Sukhumvit are virtually impassable? Isn’t it time the city fathers stopped attending ‘Self Glorification’ meetings and photo calls and got out into the countryside to see the mess and talk to the locals? I am not talking about farang residents, more the Thai locals who make up a large proportion of the workforce servicing the tourist industry.
The roads, and I mean just about every one of them, are potholed, some to a depth of 30+ cm and some are virtually right across the roadway forcing motorists into oncoming traffic. Soi Nerm Plab Warn, Soi Siam Country Club, Soi Nong Yai, Soi Lablae and so many others require proper attention now.
General Sondhi took a pretty drastic step a week or so ago citing corruption as a major factor in his decision, perhaps he could send a team here to investigate Pattaya’s road situation and the budget managers. One question ... if a motorist damaged his vehicle or more seriously died in an accident directly attributable to road maintenance neglect, who if anyone would be held accountable? Through the good offices of the Pattaya Mail may I ask the city fathers to explain why this situation has arisen and what action is to be taken?
Yours faithfully,
William Davies

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